An 18-year-old student, Drake Hansen, from William T. Dwyer High School, was arrested and charged with second-degree arson for allegedly setting fire to a student athlete’s car. The incident occurred in the early morning of January 26, 2025, in the driveway of a home in Palm Beach Gardens. Hansen pitches and plays outfield and first base for Dwyer’s baseball team. He was a member of the school’s Class 6A state championship team last year. Link

Surveillance footage in the area led authorities to Hansen’s vehicle. When questioned, Hansen initially claimed he was at his girlfriend’s house that night but later admitted to being in the area with friends. One of his friends disclosed that Hansen had planned to “mess with this one kid’s car” over a perceived slight.

Palm Beach Gardens police stated in a probable cause affidavit that they identified and located Drake Hansen after reviewing multiple surveillance videos from the area near the incident.

Police questioned Drake Hansen while he was at Dwyer High School, asking him about his whereabouts on the night of January 25. Hansen claimed he had been at his girlfriend’s home before returning to his residence at 11 p.m. and sleeping.

However, when officers informed him that his car had been captured on license plate reading cameras in the area, Hansen changed his story, stating that it must have been his friend driving the vehicle.

Police then contacted Hansen’s friend, another Dwyer High School student who frequently borrows Hansen’s car, to ask about his whereabouts on the night of January 25. The friend initially stated that he went to Wendy’s and later stopped at 7-Eleven, where he hung out in the parking lot with another friend.

However, according to the probable cause affidavit, the friend’s story changed during questioning. Eventually, Hansen admitted that he had lied and was actually in the car with his friend that night.

The friend later confessed to police that he, Hansen, and two other friends were in the car when Hansen and one of the friends got out near the 7-Eleven plaza, both wearing hooded sweatshirts.

When police asked the friend if he knew what they were going to do, he replied,

“They went to go mess with this one kid’s car.”

When asked why Hansen wanted to mess with the victim’s car, the friend said Hansen said “he disrespected him”

Hansen, now facing a felony charge, appeared in court on February 6, 2025. His parents, describing him as an exemplary student, requested supervised release.

Records:

Timeline:

Friday, January 25, 2025

• Evening:
  • Drake Hansen told police he was at his girlfriend’s house in West Palm Beach.
  • He claimed he left at 11:00 PM, went home, and fell asleep.

Saturday, January 26, 2025

• 12:49 AM
  • License plate cameras captured a silver Kia SUV (registered to Hansen) driving south on Fairway Drive from PGA Boulevard.
  • The SUV later turned into a plaza near a 7-Eleven—the only business open at that hour.
• 1:21 AM
  • Surveillance footage captured two individuals walking west toward the victim’s residence.
• 1:29 AM
  • The same two individuals were seen running away from the area where the fire later broke out.
  • A fire was visible behind them as they fled.
• 1:33 AM – Car Fire Reported
  • Palm Beach Gardens police and fire rescue responded to a fully engulfed car fire in the driveway of Dustan and Lori Brown’s residence.
  • The car, a white Volkswagen Jetta valued at $25,000, was primarily driven by their son, Koden Brown, a student-athlete and quarterback.
  • The fire also spread to a patch of grass near the car.
  • Firefighters extinguished the fire.
• 1:35 AM – Surveillance Footage Captured
  • A motion-activated security camera at the victim’s home-recorded:
    • The burning vehicle.
    • A second fire in the grass near the driveway.
• 1:40 AM
  • The silver Kia SUV (Hansen’s car) was again captured on a license plate reader, leaving the area.

Background Investigation

• September 2024 (Prior Incident)
  • The same Volkswagen Jetta was previously vandalized:
    • Tires were slashed.
    • Graffiti, including the misspelled name “Lock in Coden” (intended to mock Koden Brown), was spray-painted on the car.
    • The scores of two football games in which Koden Brown played and lost were also spray-painted on the car.
  • The Palm Beach Gardens Police Department investigated this incident, but no suspects were identified at the time.

Investigation and Arrest (February 5, 2025)

• Afternoon – Police Question Hansen at Dwyer High School
  • Officers confronted Hansen at school and asked where he was the night of January 25.
  • Hansen claimed:
    • He was at his girlfriend’s house and left at 11:00 PM.
    • He went home and fell asleep.
  • When police told him his car was seen on license plate cameras, Hansen changed his story.
    • He said his friend Leo Lange must have been driving his car that night.
• Police Question Leo Lange
  • Lange, a Dwyer High School student who frequently borrows Hansen’s car, was also questioned.
  • He initially told police:
    • He picked up a friend named “Oli,” and they went to Wendy’s.
    • They later stopped at a 7-Eleven and “hung out” in the parking lot.
  • His story changed under questioning.
• Hansen Admits He Lied
  • After being confronted, Hansen admitted he was in the car with Lange that night.
  • However, he claimed they were just driving around and doing donuts in a parking lot.
  • He then refused to answer further questions.
• Lange’s Full Confession
  • Lange later confessed that:
    • That night, he, Hansen, and two other friends (including Elvis Reyes) were in the silver Kia SUV.
    • Hansen and Reyes exited the car near the 7-Eleven plaza, wearing hooded sweatshirts.
    • They walked south toward the victim’s home.
  • When asked if he knew what they were doing, Lange admitted they went to “mess with this one kid’s car.”
  • He said Hansen showed him a Google Maps plan of where they would park and how they would get to the house.
  • Hansen believed Koden Brown had “disrespected him.”
• After the Fire
  • Lange stated that after setting the car on fire, Hansen and Reyes called to be picked up.
  • When Hansen and Reyes got back in the car, they were out of breath, and one of them allegedly said:
    • “He doesn’t have a car anymore.”
  • Lange also told police that he could smell gasoline inside the car.
• Snapchat Evidence
  • Lange revealed that before police questioned him, Hansen sent him a Snapchat message instructing him to lie.
  • The message said:
    • “Incoming. You took the car that night and went to Wendy’s.”
    • “I wasn’t there. You came in my house and took the keys.”
• 1:03 PM – Hansen Arrested at School
  • Based on the evidence, police arrested Drake Hansen at Dwyer High School.
  • He was charged with second-degree arson (a felony) and transported to Palm Beach County Jail.

Key Takeaways

• Hansen was allegedly motivated by personal resentment toward Koden Brown.
• Surveillance footage, license plate reader data, and a Snapchat message urging a cover-up all implicated him.
• He initially lied to police but later admitted to being at the scene.
• His friend Leo Lange confessed and provided details of the plan.

Moments caught on camera of when a car suddenly burst into flames in a Palm Beach Gardens neighborhood